Appalachian Trail Hike: Northern Virginia & West Virginia - Mile 730 -1026
Appalachian Trail Hike: Northern Virginia & West Virginia - Mile 730 -1026
Hello from home! Wait, what!? Yes I’m off the Appalachian Trail… but did I finish or did I quit? Time will tell.
This post is for the second half of Virginia as it is the longest state on the Appalachian Trail. This is followed by the shortest state on trail, West Virginia. This section felt a bit like summer vacation with the Blue Ridge Parkway, Shenandoah National Park, reaching Harper’s Ferry, and amazing trail towns along with a birthday celebration! I still struggled with my foot injury and constant rain.
Appalachian Trail Hike: Northern Virginia & West Virginia Summary
Statistics:
Days: 13
Full hiking days: 11
Zeroes: 1
Neros: 1
Total Trail Miles Hiked: 288.7
Total Elevation Gain: 45,066 ft
Total Elevation Loss: 44,830 ft
Highlights:
Hitting 1000 miles and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in Harper’s Ferry!
Wrapping up Virginia, the longest state on the Appalachian Trail.
Celebrating a birthday on trail in a great town with wonderful company.
Lowlights:
My foot injury continued to hurt through the whole section.
The rollercoaster section seemed unnecessary?
3 days of constant rain was too much.
Appalachian Trail Hike: Northern Virginia & West Virginia Detailed Version
Day 39: Mile 730.6 - 741.8
Trail Daily Miles: 11.2
Elevation Gain: 3017 ft
Elevation Loss: 2432 ft
Weather: Clouds, Sun
Overall Day Sentiment: A pleasant day
It was a slow morning leaving Daleville as the weather was still.. up in the air. The hailstorm from the night prior had lingered and I was not motivated to get out early when I was showered in a bed. There was also a hotel breakfast - which I can never pass up.
Eventually George and I headed out around 11:00am and had a short hiking day planned. Much like exiting any other city, there is always a solid descent and ascent to and from town. We also knew Stevie was in the area so I hoped to run into him!
The trail was directly near my accommodation which is always nice to not do too many ‘off trail’ miles. There was a lot of elevation gain in my planned 11ish miles so I chugged along.
It was a beautiful hiking day with the climbs seeming accessible. Within the first few miles of the day, I ran into the “1/3 of the way to Katahdin” sign, which felt like a huge accomplishment! I was not too far behind my 100 day hiking goal at this point, which was even better.
I arrived to the shelter to find several tents already there. Myself, George, and Stevie had dinner with another man from Michigan, Toolman. Though several more people came into camp, the night was quiet and peaceful- something I am forever grateful for when staying near a shelter.
Day 40: Mile 741.8 - 772.8
Trail Daily Miles: 31
Elevation Gain: 3700 ft
Elevation Loss: 1694 ft
Weather: Sun
Overall Day Sentiment: Worthwhile detour!
The first few miles of the day were a decent amount of ascent and descent but I was encased in a rhododendron bloom walkway. The bushes (trees?) were much taller than I and created a tunnel of blooms to walk through. It was a good morning present that only slightly tickled my allergies.
After those initial miles, I crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway. As I made the decision to hike the Appalachian Trail closer in time than I did the Pacific Crest Trail, I had not done as much research. The Blue Ridge Parkway is known for its fantastic views and here I was directly on it! I decided to roadwalk for a bit and watch out for cars. It turned out this specific section was closed for cars at the time and I got it all to myself. I eventually caught up with George and we continued to get fantastic views along the way. This also helped with my foot that was still partially injured. Flat, consistent footing was the best thing for my foot.
At one point, I discovered a lodge several miles off of the trail, but still on the Blue Ridge. My stomach won that argument and became furiously motivated by food. Once at the lodge, it was clear I made the correct choice. Not only did I get a delicious lunch and a beautiful walk, but I got to visit a federally run visitor center for Peak of the Otter. If you know anything about me, I love visiting National Parks and this was right along with it!
It was a decently long walk for George and I to get back to the trail, but it was worth it.
Upon arriving back on the Appalachian Trail, the water source I was hoping for was appalling. It was full of sediment and nearly a trickle. Getting and filtering water took upwards of 30 minutes. Luckily there was a shelter nearby and I tucked in quickly for the night.
*Note that though I am near shelters, I am not staying in them just yet as norovirus continued to scare me.
Day 41: Mile 772.8 - 798.1
Trail Daily Miles: 25.3
Elevation Gain: 3864 ft
Elevation Loss: 5108 ft
Weather: Sun
Overall Day Sentiment: Thankful for trail angels!
Waking up early (5:30ish) day in and day out does wear on you, but I wanted to make more big mile days so needs must. The Appalachian Trail continued to cross the Blue Ridge Parkway so we broke up the day by switching between the two.
Around lunchtime, a trail angel, Vanish, picked us up in her built out van and gave us a ride a few miles down the road. She also treated us with some literal treats, fresh water, took our trash, and shared lovely stories. She was driving the van to support her husband who was finishing up his hike of the trail that had previously been cut short due to the Hurricane Helene the year prior.
After a lovely lunch, we headed out again and had a wicked ascent - no surprise. It was also beginning to get sincerely humid which adds a layer of discomfort to hiking up large climbs. I ran into a lot of day hikers though, which made me think this was a beautiful and accessible spot.
I arrived at the shelter that ended up being further off of the trail than I had hoped. Non trail miles start to add up. George was already set up amongst a sea of new folks I had never met before. I tried to engage with a few of them but they were a section hiking group that stayed to themselves. It ended up being an early night even though the crowd chatted on. George and I were visited by several deer soon after dark - how fun!
Day 42: Mile 798.1 - 823.4
Trail Daily Miles: 25.3
Elevation Gain: 7064 ft
Elevation Loss: 5831 ft
Weather: Cloud, Rain, Thunderstorms
Overall Day Sentiment: I sleep in shelters now
For once I was out of camp earlier than George was. I begrudgingly walked those same off trail miles to get back to the Appalachian Trail. But the highlight was hitting the 800 mile mark soon after I left camp.
The day was predicted to have several thunderstorms so I wanted to get as far as I could, while the weather was manageable. Unfortunately it started raining midday, and the winds picked up, which blew the weather fully in. This day encompassed a high exposed ridgeline called The Priests so I took a lower forest road alternate instead. When there is lightning involved… I do not want to be on an exposed all rock ridgeline.
I had not seen George the whole day which started to make me a little concerned because normally he passes me at some point as he is a faster hiker. We had agreed upon meeting at a specific shelter by the end of the day, so I continued on to said shelter.
I thankfully arrived at the shelter after walking in the rain that had turned to a downpour for the last several hours. There was George tucked in along with four other hikers who are sheltering from the weather. The shelter held room enough for six of us, so I squeezed in the last spot. Chairman, forest, Burger King, and others made this a fun experience.
It continue to rain all evening and throughout the night and though I initially did not want to stay inside of shelters, rather just tent around them, I appreciated the literal roof over my head that night.
Day 43: Mile 823.4 - 843.8
Trail Daily Miles: 20.4
Elevation Gain: 5000 ft
Elevation Loss: 6108 ft
Weather: Rain
Overall Day Sentiment: I’m a shelter rat now
It was a slow morning as I was not motivated to hike in the continuing rain. It had not stopped raining all night and the forecast for the day was not looking good either. Because of George and my miscommunication from the day before we decided to hike together for the majority of the day.
To be honest, this was a trying day as it continued to rain. There’s a well known alternate trail in this section called the Mau-Har trail which we took. This trail led directly to a shelter that we were considering staying at so it was a no-brainer.
This trail was immensely beautiful, though steep, because it was full of waterfalls. It probably would have been more fun had all of the rocks not been wet from the persistent rain (that was still pouring). The waterfalls and the contributing streams in the area were very high and led to a couple water crossings that were above my knees.
Because it had been precipitating all day, no matter what I did to stay dry…I was soaked through. When George and I got to the shelter and there was room, we decided that would be best just to tuck in. Nomad was there and provided lovely company for the afternoon. A bit later on another hiker named Creek joined, and we all snuggled into the shelter for the night because (no surprise) it continued to storm.
Day 44: Mile 843.8 - 864.6
Trail Daily Miles: 20.8
Elevation Gain: 1167 ft
Elevation Loss: 1460 ft
Weather: Rain
Overall Day Sentiment: I look like a drowned shelter rat
Once again, it was still raining in the morning, which meant I was not motivated to move. The goal for the day was Waynesboro, Virginia, and a shower and laundry was the only thing that pried me from my snuggly spot in the dry shelter. Putting on wet shoes, wet socks, and finally a wet sports bra is just not fun. I perhaps glamorize or romanticize long distance hiking, but when you are soaked to the bone and you have to put on wet hiking clothes to enter the rain again it is misery.
I was on trail for a bit, but then saw that the Blue Ridge Parkway crossed the Appalachian Trail several more times, so I hopped on that. Because it had been raining so consistently and substantially over the past few days, the trail was mostly mud. Some of the trail had been washed away and the ATC sent out notifications warning hikers about trail conditions, being either muddy or potentially dangerous with the high rivers so the Blue Ridge Parkway felt right.
We ran back into Nomad also on Blue Ridge Parkway as he had the same idea. Just as it began down comically pouring more a Trail Angel emerged from the clouds and offered us a ride into town for which we happily accepted. He dropped us off right near the hotel and suddenly I got a few more hours in the day that I did not expect. I was able to get into my accommodation earlier than regular check-in, which allowed me to do my chores in a timely manner. This included a resupply at the grocery store and laundry, which was located at the hotel luckily.
For the remainder of the day I laid in my hotel bed, clean, and thankfully dry for the first time in several days.
Day 45: Mile 864.6 - 885.3
Trail Daily Miles: 21
Elevation Gain: 2000 ft
Elevation Loss: 1332 ft
Weather: Sun
Overall Day Sentiment: Another National Park!
It again was a relatively slow morning, but I was ready to go at 7:00am for a different reason. There was a gluten-free bakery in town that was near my hotel. I went for breakfast and had French toast along with purchasing a large box of treats to go. This may not be exciting to most, but being able to choose out whatever sweet treats I wanted and knowing that they were carefully very gluten-free is an absolute delight
George rain for a shuttle to pick us up and drop us off back at the trail. We would be entering Shenandoah national Park and would remain there for the next 100 miles. This is a new national park for me as a national park nerd. It is always exciting to explore new beautiful spaces.
Similar to the trail in relation to Blue Ridge Parkway, the Appalachian Trail crossed skyline Drive, which is the road that goes through Shenandoah national Park dozens of times You will see a common thread that I would often exit the Appalachian Trail to walk along Skyline Drive to actually get views. The AT is sometimes only yards away from the road, but it is so densely forested that you can see nothing but the forest in question so when I am presented With an opportunity to see more views, potentially get more trail magic, and have a more graded elevation – I will take it.
Despite getting a late start, we were able to do some good miles and arrived at a shelter. Though it was not raining at the moment, it was thundering quite a lot so I posted up in the shelter again. Something I never thought I would do so often. I got a fitful night of sleep because the humidity was stifling.
Day 46: Mile 885.3 - 919.3
Trail Daily Miles: 34
Elevation Gain: 1733 ft
Elevation Loss: 1948 ft
Weather: Hot, Humid, Storms
Overall Day Sentiment: Thankful for kind people.
After a rough night sleep because of the heat George and I packed up for another day through the national park. Not before I was told by a section hiker that there was “still time for me“ to have a family as soon as I got done hiking this trail as age 35 was “getting up there”. Thank you, random 65 year old man for the words of encouragement?
After what felt like quick morning hike, George and I arrived at the Loft Mountain wayside. The waysides through the national park are essentially service stations that serve food and have snacks/gifts. It was always a treat to have treats along the trail when not in a town!
The day heated up and along with the temperature, the humidity increased as well. At one point it was nearly 95 degrees Fahrenheit and 85% humidity - which is just not fun to hike in. Once I got cell phone service, I realized this was due to an impending string of thunderstorms.
We had a decent amount of mileage to go for the day when we hit a road crossing. From there we were told by a park employee that we should try to get to some coverage. With 8 miles to go to a campground with real shelter and after we had already done a big day, we hitched a ride up the trail to Big Meadow area.
In my thru-hiking opinion, safety always comes first. I will listen to the ATC, National Park employees, and other forest service workers about conditions and this was one of those times.
We ducked into the Big Meadow Lodge and were greeted by an inviting space that had live music and drinks/food. It turned out to be an enjoyable evening that I had not expected. Sometimes weather and other conditions pulls you in the direction you needed to go that day.
Day 47: Mile 927.1 - 949.9
Trail Daily Miles: 22.9
Elevation Gain: 4541 ft
Elevation Loss: 5616 ft
Weather: Sun, Hot
Overall Day Sentiment: Insomnia, why?
In the morning, I can never turn down a breakfast. The lodge from the night before also offered many breakfast options which I took them up on. Once back on trail after a large meal it was relatively easy hiking. The miles came quicker than they had before which was very nice for timing.
While hiking, I ran into a Roo look alike aka a red merle Australian Shepherd. Leaving pets back at home while on thru-hikes is one of the hardest parts. I was thankful for all of the day hikers in the national park on a weekend because they brought a lot of energy to the trail and asked many questions about what I was doing. It’s always a good reminder when there is a lull in the hike or general morale is low to be reminded what you’re doing is unique.
Towards the end of the day, much of the hiking was through a burn zone. I am not new to burn zones as there are several on the Pacific Crest Trail, but walking through one on the Appalachian Trail was not something I had on my bingo card. It was also a surprisingly dry section which meant a heavy water carry.
George and I had decided on a campsite, but as I was about a mile and a half from the campsite, I found George just somewhat on the side of the trail in a random spot already set up. Turns out he was just done hiking for the day, which is very relatable. So I set up my tent on a lumpy tilted spot and tucked in for the night. Much like a few weeks on the PCT, I was hit with a bout of insomnia, and it was after midnight before I fell asleep.
Day 48: Mile 949.4 - 972.4
Trail Daily Miles: 22.5
Elevation Gain: 3524 ft
Elevation Loss: 3396 ft
Weather: Sun
Overall Day Sentiment: Birthday Celebrations!
Of course, the night that insomnia hit was followed by our earliest morning hike yet. We hit the trail at 5:30am in order to push big miles to get into town and the reason we would want to get into town was because it was my birthday and all I wanted was a shower, laundry, and sweets.
Again, because it was a weekend as we were just exiting in the national park, it was a busy day, but we made the miles and got a ride very easily into Front Royal, Virginia.
I was not going to initially stop in Front Royal but the timing with my birthday just worked out. This was one of the most hiker, friendly spots along the entire trail. Several of the businesses went in on a hiker space called “basecamp“ which was an area that had laundry and showers free for hikers. It was attached to the brewery, a bakery, and a gear shop so I was able to do laundry (freshly showered!) while wearing loaner clothes drinking a celebratory drink at the brewery!
At one point, I was served cake with three and five candles in them for my 35th birthday. Turns out that George had hiked over 100 miles with them in preparation for this. It was a nice surprise!
A quick resupply and call to my mom wrapped up the day.
Day 49: Mile 972.4 - 1002.9
Trail Daily Miles: 30.5
Elevation Gain: 5041 ft
Elevation Loss: 4910 ft
Weather: Sun
Overall Day Sentiment: 1000 miles!
Despite the celebrations (read: libations) from the day before, we had a big hiking day so I arranged a shuttle early in the morning. Our driver was a cyclist, which is George’s primary recreational activity, so it was fun to see them chat about that. *Put a pin in the cycling conversation.
The day was an average day of hiking until I got to “the rollercoaster”. This is a section of trail that rounds out Virginia and is comprised of several steep climbs and descents. The most *fun part is that there are no views from any of the tops - so it is truly just made up of PUDS (pointless ups and downs).
I planned my camp spot in the middle of the rollercoaster to give my legs a break, which was the correct move. It was also the correct move because I got stung by a Yellowjacket on my ankle. It swelled up so so so much.
Just before camp, I hit the 1000 mile marker. This is and will remain a surreal experience. To know that my body is capable of hiking - not just walking - but walking up and down mountains with a pack on for over 1000 miles will never cease to amaze me. I understand that I have accomplished this before on a different trail but that does not diminish the feeling of gratitude I have for my body.
Day 50: Mile 1002.9 - 1026.0
Trail Daily Miles: 23.1
Elevation Gain: 4493 ft
Elevation Loss: 4995 ft
Weather: Sun
Overall Day Sentiment: ATC!
There were several big milestones on this day: finish the rollercoaster, exit Virginia after 550+ miles, and reach Harper’s Ferry.
Harper’s ferry is the widely accepted halfway point on the AT (though comes up short mileage wise). This is where the Appalachian Trail Conservancy is located, a huge trail highlight.
The day flew by with these exciting bits as markers. It was also some of the easiest hiking I had had up until this point on the Appalachian Trail - after the completion do the “rollercoaster” section. In case you were curious, there were no views on the second half of the coaster.
It felt like a mad dash to get to the ATC headquarters before they closed at 4pm. As I had a 100 day goal, I internally needed to arrive there on day 50 to feel like the goal was attainable. I ran the last little bit, when a rude hiker stopped me, told me I was going the wrong direction, and asked for a picture together? I was in fact heading in the correct direction so I continued. He was also heading to the ATC headquarters but claimed they “would stay open for him”.
With 15 minutes to spare, I signed into the ATC at Harper’s ferry on day 50. I started the trail as hiker number 1619 and now was hiker number 197. From 1619 to 197 was a huge jump and I couldn’t have been more proud of myself.
That night, George and I went out to dinner with other hikers - Bacon, Early Bird, and more! - which was a wonderful to way to celebrate this accomplishment.
The best way was to celebrate by taking my first zero day after 50 days of hiking.
Day 51: Mile 1026
Trail Daily Miles: 0
Elevation Gain: 0
Elevation Loss: 0
Weather: Sun, Rain
Overall Day Sentiment: Zeroes feel great
My first zero on the Appalachian Trail was heavenly. I was able to slowly do chores, nap, grab lunch with friends, and generally relax! That evening, George and I went out for Mexican food and did a full resupply for the next section.
It made me wonder… why I hadn’t had any zeroes in the 50 days prior.
